Cybersecurity Expert to Keynote Digital Industry USA

An expert on cybersecurity will keynote the inaugural Digital Industry USA event Sept. 10-12 in Louisville.

Phil Quade, chief information security officer at Fortinet, a leading provider of cybersecurity infrastructure solutions, will open the three-day event at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville. Presented by Hannover Fairs USA, Digital Industry USA will focus on how the Industrial Internet of Things, robotics, artificial intelligence, and other strategies can improve manufacturing maintenance and productivity.

Quade is a 34-year veteran of the National Security Association and said the evolution of Cy-Phy—the convergence of the cyber and physical worlds—will have a profound impact on manufacturers.

“Manufacturing operations, engineering and security professionals will inevitably be drawn into the Cy-Phy revolution,” Quade said in a press release. “As the convergence of OT and IT accelerates, the likelihood of digital attacks will surface. Manufacturing equipment and operational technology networks will be exposed to attacks from the plant’s IT networks.”

Quade’s keynote will discuss how these threats will emerge, how manufacturers can be diligent in understanding such threats, and how they need to implement a sound security strategy to combat these attacks.